The History of Karaoke:
Karaoke Music, a tale of two countries....
In 1950, before Karaoke Music was
invented, a firm new to the just- introduced world of
the long-playing record, LP as it came to be known, released the
first sing-along recordings in this new medium. The label,
Music Minus One,
while specializing in classical repertoire, had at the head of
the company a fervent jazz fan, and in the company's second
year, in 1952, he recorded three different all-star rhythm
sections performing great standards of the 20s, 30s, 40s and
50s. Intended primarily for jazz improvising, they also offered
vocalists a wonderful opportunity to sing with a band
These recordings proved very popular, sold in the thousands
and were purchased throughout the world.
In the late 1970's, Karaoke, as we now know it was introduced
in Japan, some twenty- five years later.
The word "karaoke" comes from the joining of two Japanese
words: ' Kara'(empty) and 'Okie' (short for orchestra) Rather
than including both vocals and music, karaoke
music tracks included only the song's music. The vocal
were provided by a live person, not a professional, who holding
a microphone, sings while following the words displayed on a
screen or in a lyric book.
While most people in Japan agree that
karaoke started in Kobe, Japan, in the late 1970's , the
actual origins of Karaoke music are
obscure. One story claims that a snack bar owner, when a
performer failed to appear, put on tapes of music and asked
people in the restaurant if they wanted to sing. From such
insignificant beginnings, Karaoke as an entertainment form has
spread throughout Japan and the world. The term 'karaoke' has
been accepted into common language usage.
Originally available only on karaoke
cassette tapes, karaoke moved into CDs, finally
incorporating videos and graphic images along with on-screen
text prompts for those unsure of the song's words (lyrics). The
fad spread into bars and restaurants. If the person singing
wasn't very good, they were still applauded at the end of their
performance. The supportive atmosphere for performers brought
the people at the venue together in a new and communal way.
Many attribute the Japanese public's typical reserve to the
reason for Karaoke's extraordinary success in that land.
Japanese businessmen would flock to drinking places, featuring
karaoke music facilities (microphones,
amplifiers and lyric screens) to release their inhibitions. This
made going to a 'karaoke bar' a perfect way to end a long day at
the office.
Now the karaoke music boom has
spread beyond Asia to the U.S.A., Europe, South America, and
just about any place where people gather at day's end to
celebrate with friends by singing.
American spent over $200 million on karaoke equipment and
music in 2002. Technological advances continue to add to the
Karaoke enthusiam that has permeated every public place where
people gather and singing has become as endemic as drinking, at
most of the nation's bars and taverns.
It is said that since the popularization of records, radio
and TV, people had become passive receivers of entertainment.
Karaoke has stood this theory on its ear and gone a long way to
re-involve the public in the making of music. It also signals a
great contribution to the history of musical entertainment.
And what about that mid-twentieth century company, Music
Minus One. In 1985, the originator of Karaoke, an American,
proceeded to provide sound-alikes of every song of the last
century in the karaoke format. It was an undertaking that
produced in the following 19 years, over 12,000 songs, from
every decade of the century. Pocket Songs
was the name given to the "Karaoke" offshoot of Music Minus One.
They company even began offering Opera Arias with full symphony
orchestras.
Pocket Songs was one of the first company's in the field to
adopt the new CD+G format, which provides a sub-strata lyric
text on each compact disc. This is decoded and comes up on the
home stereo system when using a special CD+G machine. Now, hand
held lyrics were replaced by lyrics on a screen that could be
viewed by all the people in a room. The tavern entertainment
entered the home.
In the past several years, literally millions of CD+G
machines have entered the market place. The CD+G format has
become in the U.S.A the favored format for 'singing' with
recordings.
And what became of that original individual who created the
first 'karaoke' recordings in 1952. He was acknowledged by the
American music industry in 1995 as "the father of karaoke". His
name is Irv Kratka, and believe it or not, he is still at the
helm of Pocket Songs, recording the hits and the new artists
that appear each year in music.
and that's the rest of the story..... |
